PTI urges JUI-F to refuse reserved seats

Barrister Gohar urges dialogue with ‘relevant’ stakeholders

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI/PESHAWAR:  Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that efforts are being made to hold dialogue only with those stakeholders who are “relevant” to the process.

Speaking near the Dahgal checkpoint close to Adiala Jail on Tuesday, Barrister Gohar said he was visiting the PTI founder after a month due to his inability to meet him earlier during the budget session. He said that the police had stopped them at the checkpoint despite a clear directive from the High Court that no obstruction should be placed on such meetings.

Gohar emphasised that broader engagement would result in positive messages reaching the public, adding that the PTI founder has consistently conveyed a constructive message to the nation. He reiterated the party’s demand for the immediate release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, who have been incarcerated for over 700 days.

He stressed that even if release is not being granted, at the very least, access should be allowed. “To move forward, there must not be unnecessary hardships. Once access is granted, we can discuss what the offer is, and during meetings, we can also address the letters from imprisoned PTI workers,” he said.

Gohar revealed that the prime minister had said in Parliament that talks should take place and advised the use of the Speaker’s Office for the purpose. However, the PTI founder rejected the government’s offer for dialogue, insisting that if the government is serious, it must first take concrete and positive steps.

He added that should a meeting with the PTI founder take place, the government’s proposal for negotiations would be discussed.

Barrister Gohar stated that launching a political movement is a constitutional right, but PTI has not shied away from dialogue either. He noted that while an alliance with Maulana Fazal Rehman could not materialise, relations between them have not deteriorated.

He clarified that, at present, no form of backchannel dialogue is underway. “Our consistent position has been that all options must remain open in political struggle, and even now, we are trying to continue the negotiation process with the appropriate parties,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Saif has urged Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazal  Rehman to show moral courage and refuse to accept the reserved seats.

“If the opposition parties have even the slightest moral courage, they will refuse to take reserved seats which are only PTI’s right but have been put up for ‘auction’,” said Saif.

“Fazal Rehman should also show moral courage like [ANP’s] Amir Haider Hoti,” the KP CM’s aide said while welcoming the latter’s statement regarding not accepting the reserved seats.

His remarks refer to the Supreme Court’s June 27 verdict, which declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ineligible for the reserved seats, after which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) restored five reserved seats for women in the National Assembly from KP.